


Sense of time

by Sugar_and_Salt



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Polyamory, Romance, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 16:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6159754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugar_and_Salt/pseuds/Sugar_and_Salt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sehun made people remember. Chanyeol made them dream. But together, they made people nothing but sad. And as time passed by, they grew sad themselves...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sense of time

**Author's Note:**

> While I keep revising my old stories to get this account up to date, here's some new stuff I've recently written~   
> Yes, the threeway relationships are addictive and yes, I have no self control. Shame on me.
> 
> Have fun reading~  
> Love,  
> Sugar_and_Salt

 

Whenever people crossed Chanyeol's or Sehun's way, they wouldn't notice them. That was not out of the ordinary - after all, humans only had dull senses. It didn't mean that they were being ignorant on purpose. It was just that they were mostly busy using these dull senses to their best capability for many other things at once, every day. In order to actually see them, one would have to have an open mind and really focus their senses on them specifically. This obviously didn't happen all that often but it was alright.  
They weren't lonely. They had each other.  
And even though humans were barely able to acknowledge them, their lives were changed by the presence of Chanyeol and Sehun. A simple touch was sufficient.  
It was what they did and they did so gladly for they both had their own way of making people happy.

Sehun made people remember. A simple gesture such as his hand brushing their shoulders would make old women nostalgic, remind adults of forgotten friendships and sad people of good times.  
Chanyeol was different. He would saunter in between the masses, fluffing his hand through their hair and stir the thoughts in them, bring their hidden wishes and desires to the surface. He made them dream.

Yes, Chanyeol and Sehun were vastly different in every aspect. Where Sehun was quiet and withdrawn, Chanyeol was outgoing and noisy. While Sehun preferred to spend his time leisurely, sitting in a coffee shop and watching people milling around, Chanyeol would be the one to bustle through the masses, always on the lookout for new, exciting things.  
And even though it might seem unlikely these two found each other in the crowd, drawn to each other by fascination and adoration alike until mere companionship grew into something more.  
Now they belonged together, Chanyeol and Sehun. The future and the past.  
But no matter how beautiful their story might sound in all its simplicity... there was one problem.  
If they were together, they made people nothing but sad. And as time passed by, they grew sad themselves. They both had different reasons which were all the same deep down, just like their personalities.  
 

* * *

 

When Sehun was alone, he made people happy.  
That's why he tried to be alone as much as possible, even though he obviously looked forward to meeting Chanyeol at the end of the day. Until then, he helped people to keep track of things, to never lose sight of what's truly important.  
Today, as well, he spent his time in a place dear to him. He often did that, shy of new places and fond of familiar ones all the same. Sitting on a low, comfortable wall made of bricks he enjoyed the sight of people walking down the busy street. All the while the rays of sunlight bounced off the river's surface behind him, warming his back. He liked the faint sound of the minuscule waves wrinkling the water's surface, liked the warm feeling of being surrounded by people and yet able to have a little peace.  
Whenever someone would pass by close enough, he would stretch out his hand, fingers grazing their upper arms. Most people just kept on walking busily but he could see the change in their eyes. He merrily made a young man remember his first love and a little girl the good times spent with her siblings. But soon the sun set and people were going home. The street slowly became deserted, giving Sehun time to remember things as well.  
And that's where Sehun got sad.  
He remembered the good times, but also the sad ones. He also remembered why he liked this place so much - because that's where he and Chanyeol had met for the first time. He recalled the energetic way he had moved around the crowd, spreading dreams of love and happiness. The way his deep hum had found its way over their heads and to him, the way their eyes met for the first time. Sehun remembered it all in perfect clarity. And while he was still here -thinking back to that time- Chanyeol was off somewhere, exploring new streets and finding new people. Chanyeol hadn't forgotten about him, but Sehun was sure he wasn't able to remember everything this clear, either. He was such an airhead, one silly thought outracing the next. Always on the move. Sehun admired that. So much. He wasn't good at making new memories, he was only good at keeping them. But whenever he saw his lover glowing from happiness at the small things coming his way he couldn't help but feel inferior. Sehun might smile at a dandelion, remembering the time he had last seen one while Chanyeol would blow the seeds away, marveling at the way they flew through the air. And the next time, Sehun would also smile at a blowball, recalling the way Chanyeol had sneezed when one seed landed on his nose.  
He felt like he was dragging Chanyeol down, like he was holding him back from being his true self. At the same time he was wondering whether he wanted to be more like him. But letting go of past memories just wasn't in his nature. It was a problem without a solution and that made Sehun really sad.  
Just as he was lost in thought, his gaze restlessly roaming over the sky that was tinted in soft shades of pink and orange, his eyes fell on someone walking across the wall he was sitting on. It was a young man with dark locks and sun-kissed skin, delicately balancing on the narrow railing Sehun was leaning against. The railing was round and probably slippery judging from the way he was flailing from time to time and used his outstretched arms to regain his balance. Sehun watched him inching closer with mild interest until he could make out the color of his eyes - a very deep, rich brown. When he almost fell for real Sehun's breath hitched but the boy caught himself, smiling a bit. He was only a few feet away when their eyes met and the boy blinked at him in surprise, stilling in his tracks.  
"Hello." he said politely and nonchalantly, as if he was doing nothing out of the ordinary. Sehun vaguely nodded before asking what had been on his mind all the time.  
"Why are you doing that?"  
With a tilted head the boy blinked, before understanding dawned on his features.  
"Oh. This?" he softly asked, one hand gesturing to the railing below and in turn almost sending him down into the river.  
"I don't know. I just felt like doing it." he simply said and with a swift jump he landed next to Sehun and sat on the slightly heightened railing.  
What an odd person, Sehun thought.  
"So, what are you doing here?" the boy asked, his feet shuffling a tiny bit while he threw his head back to enjoy the last rays of golden light.  
"I'm reminiscing."  
"About what?"  
Sehun laughed soundlessly.  
"About everything."  
"Everything?" he repeated, a little taken aback before sounding thoughtful, "...that sounds exhausting."  
He thought of Chanyeol and could do nothing but nod.  
"I guess it is." he sighed.  
"You look unhappy. What's wrong?"  
And maybe it had just been a long time since anyone but Chanyeol had cared to ask him this, but Sehun found himself telling him about his troubles. The boy listened patiently, shifting his weight once in a while but making no move to interrupt him.  
When he was done explaining the brunette hummed thoughtfully, his eyes roaming over the first stars twinkling in the sky.  
"Hm... I don't think you should worry too much about this." he finally said and Sehun looked over at him in question.  
"The one you love chose you, right? So I'm sure he likes all this about you."  
The way this boy said it made it sound so simple and Sehun couldn't believe things could ever be this easy. The doubt must have been written in his eyes all too clearly because the boy shot him a boyish grin, full of encouragement. And then, completely out of the blue, he leaned in and brushed his lips against his'.  
The present kissed the past, just like that.  
It was warm, gentle and the way the touch tingled wasn't entirely unfamiliar. Sehun vaguely wondered whether Chanyeol would be upset about this. He had never experienced anything similar so he wouldn't know. Still, he found himself tempted to search the plush lips again when the boy withdrew himself, just far enough to break the touch. Blinking in confusion, he tried to take in the sensations of warmth radiating off his skin and the feathery way their lips would touch as the boy murmured something.  
"Maybe you should go and search for him. It'll be alright."  
And while the whole presence was overwhelming to the point that he felt dizzy, Sehun felt that he actually really wanted to do just that. To jump to his feet and look for Chanyeol.

He was halfway down the street when he turned around once more, calling out to the boy.  
"And you? What are you going to do?"  
The boy shrugged, leaning back on his hands.  
"Oh, I don't know. I'll see."

 

* * *

 

When Chanyeol was alone, he made people happy.  
In his opinion, everyone had dreams buried deep inside of them and he was merely the one making them come to the surface.  
Little kids dreamed of being a magician, elder ones of wealth and success, everyone wished to be loved. There were countless possibilities and Chanyeol could rouse those ideas because he was full of dreams himself. He wanted to see the whole world, learn how to fold a paper crane, to find happiness. Be it about tiny or big things, Chanyeol wished for them all the same. Everything could be an achievement if it was new and foreign. Following this ideal, he kept searching. Wandering down different streets and exploring his surroundings carefully, seeking something he would never know about until he found it. But even if he did find it, it would only be the start of a new journey, a new search for something else.

And while he still made people happy, Chanyeol himself found that his own happiness was diminishing with every passing day.  
It was odd and wrong, in a way. Because while Sehun made his life so much better by just being there, he also made him sad. Looking at Sehun made him so wonderfully warm and fuzzy and while it felt just right, a part of him also felt empty. Chanyeol didn't like to think about a lot of things but he'd figured that Sehun was worth it long ago and so far he'd come to the conclusion that he felt... incomplete. It wasn't that Sehun was not enough, this would be an absurd thought. Chanyeol felt like he himself was lacking. Sehun was calm and balanced at any given time while Chanyeol kept tugging him around because he was just so restless.  
He kept searching and searching but what for?  
Even around Sehun he found it difficult to relax because he would never stop thinking about what they could be doing, what they might be one day. And while he kept losing himself in hypothetical scenarios, Sehun would retell him a story so vividly that it would excite Chanyeol for he had all but forgotten about it. Another thing that made him sad. He felt like he wasn't appreciating their time the way Sehun deserved it.  
Chanyeol sighed. And while everyone around him was happy, he wasn't.  
Kicking a little pebble, he watched the people around him and before his ever-present curiosity could be drawn in by anything, a sudden shower of cold rain downed the whole street in a mere minute, causing people left and right to shriek in surprise before seeking shelter below roofs and in stores.  
Chanyeol blinked up at the rain, imagined it to flood the whole street up to his calves, or maybe chest even. It would look nice, the way the potted plants would slowly become underwater plants, making their way to the top to bloom on the surface. The potted plants that were currently being rearranged by a crouching boy. He was completely drenched but adamant about sorting the plants by color. Various rows of flowers in yellow, red and pink were being constantly shifted and Chanyeol thought that the florist would most likely ruffle his hair in frustration at the sight of this chaotic arrangement, completely disregarding the different types of plants. Having never been the shy type, Chanyeol approached him and looked over his shoulder. To his surprise, the boy regarded him with a fleeting side glance. It wasn't everyday that people noticed him instantly.  
"What are you doing?" he called out over the pitter-patter of rain meeting the cheap canopies around them.  
"I'm sorting the flowers. By color." the boy simply replied as if it was obvious. Which it was, but still.  
"Why?"  
At this, he merely shrugged.  
"No idea. There's no reason, I guess."  
Chanyeol found that really weird indeed, but decided to help him by carrying over even more plants. For a while they worked in silence, which was unusual for Chanyeol. Not only the silence but rather the fact that he was dedicating his mind to one task only, and such a silly one at that. Only when the boy turned to accept another pot, did something stir inside of him. He had to think about it thoroughly because remembering stuff wasn't his forte, but...  
"Jongin? Are you Jongin?"  
The boy blinked up at him in surprise, wiping a few drenched strands of hair off his forehead.  
"Yes?"  
He didn't ask whether they had met before, like others would. Maybe he didn't really care.  
"Sehun told me about you."  
Jongin nodded lightly, only looking up when Chanyeol's hand was all up in his vision.  
"I'm Chanyeol."  
"And I'm Jongin." he replied simply. Chanyeol laughed at this.  
"I know that already."  
But Jongin only shrugged again and went back to sorting the flowers.  
"And I already know that you're Chanyeol."  
"Really? Why?"  
He didn't even look up from his task, brows furrowed in momentary concentration.  
"Because you mentioned Sehun and Sehun only ever mentioned you."  
"He did?" Chanyeol asked with poorly concealed glee.  
"He did."  
For awhile he watched Jongin shift the pots of flowers, various thoughts and possible images of the future crossing his mind.  
"You... kissed Sehun." he finally said, slowly, probing. But Jongin didn't even do as much as shrug or apologize.  
"I did."  
Seconds passed and in the end Chanyeol crouched down next to him, resuming the work without a word, just like that. He felt like this should anger him. Like he should fear this boy might take Sehun away. But when the blonde had come looking for him all breathless and urgent to tell him this story, it didn't look like he wanted to leave him. Chanyeol was brilliant at making up scenarios but this one seemed really far-fetched, judging by the adoring twinkle in his lover's bright eyes and the fervor he had kissed him with.  
"You're doing it all wrong." Jongin suddenly interrupted, pawing at his much bigger hands.  
"This one is more red than orange."  
"Oh." Chanyeol muttered, startled out of his thoughts.  
"Sure. Sorry."  
"Are you reminiscing as well?" Jongin asked, his attention on Chanyeol for once.  
"Me? Not exactly. Reminiscing is like... thinking of the past. I don't do that often."  
"So what is it that you do?" he inquired easily and Chanyeol hesitated.  
What did he do?  
"I... think about tomorrow. I wonder what I'm gonna do next." he stated slowly and flinched when Jongin batted at his hands once more, an accusing look on his face.  
"That's why you keep messing up." he strictly stated, pulling the pot out of Chanyeol's hands before placing a hand on the side of his neck, just above the hem of Chanyeol's drenched sweater. Chanyeol watched the action with mild curiosity until a sudden idea made Jongin lean in and place a firm kiss to the place his hand had rested on. He stiffened, unsure what to make of this and fully expecting Jongin to draw away and act like nothing had happened but instead he felt another kiss above the previous spot and before he knew it, Jongin was kissing his way up the side of his neck to a place behind his ear.  
Now the present was kissing the future and in that moment Chanyeol felt hypersensitive with all the impressions weighing him down in such a delicious way. The way the rain hammered against the windows, the sweet scent of flowers covering the salty one of rainwater, Jongin's breath fanning over his ear. It was all crystal clear and pure and in a way that Chanyeol was lacking the words for it tethered him right to the spot, to this exact moment.  
A wet and slightly cold cheek was mashed against his' and Chanyeol felt like Jongin was catching his breath. At least Chanyeol certainly had to. He almost flinched when a calm voice tickled the shell of his ear.  
"Let's finish this task, alright?"  
He nodded dazedly.  
When the sun was finally peeking out between the tired clouds, it shone down on a pretty rainbow formed by neat rows of potted plants. The two of them stood next to each other, looking down at the flowers and Chanyeol felt something akin to satisfaction. What for, he didn't know. There was no meaning behind all this, after all. And while he would usually prance away in search of something else to do he found himself quite unwilling to leave. The way Jongin leaned against his side indicated that he was thinking the same.  
"It's beautiful." Chanyeol mumbled.  
"Yes."  
"So... what are you going to do now?"  
He could feel the shrug rather than see it.  
"Don't know."  
"Aren't you ever thinking of tomorrow?"  
"No." Jongin whispered and rested his head on Chanyeol's shoulder, "I don't."  
He sounded unexpectedly sad and Chanyeol pulled him in, rubbing his shoulder and petting his hair. What the comfort was for, he didn't know.

 

* * *

 

"So... you met Jongin, too." Sehun mumbled, turning to his side to get a better look at his lover. They were both spread out on a patch of grass, looking at the blue sky where they had tried to find forms in the clouds, a pastime Chanyeol would never get tired of. Now he tore his gaze away to regard Sehun with a thoughtful look.  
"Yeah. He's sort of weird."  
Sehun tried his best to keep up the eye contact but failed.  
"Did he... kiss you, too?"  
Chanyeol hummed, looking a little guilty.  
"Kind of."  
Silence enveloped them, both caught up by their own thoughts.  
"Are you mad?" Chanyeol asked quietly but for the longest time he got no answer. Seconds, even minutes passed before Sehun spoke up.

"Are you going to forget about me?"

"What? No-" Chanyeol rushed to say, instantly sitting up, "why would you think that?"  
Reluctantly, Sehun got up as well, still avoiding his eyes.  
"Because Jongin is better than me. More exciting."  
"It doesn't matter how exciting anyone is, I'll always come back to you. Don't you know that? I thought you never forget anything?" he inquired but his blonde lover didn't seem convinced, his voice quiet and dull.  
"Maybe you shouldn't come back for me. Maybe you should walk ahead instead."  
"NO!" Chanyeol claimed, bordering on desperation as he firmly grabbed Sehun's upper arms, tilting his head so he could get a look at his face.  
"Don't say that, please. Don't leave me alone. You're like... _all I have_."  
Finally, Sehun looked up at him, his expression one of genuine confusion.  
"How? I'm just a dead weight, talking about nothing but stuff that happened once."  
Chanyeol drew him into a tight hug as if fearing  Sehun might actually get up and leave. He buried his face in his neck with an exasperated sigh.  
"Stop saying stuff like that. I have nothing. I can dream all I want, at the end of the day I'm left with nothing. You're the only constant in my life. Don't you dare thinking about leaving me now. Please."  
An almost foreign feeling of anger overcame Sehun, fueled by the image of Chanyeol and Jongin kissing.  
"You have nothing? What are you talking about? You have it all-" he countered moodily, prying Chanyeol away until they could face each other.  
"You have so many ideas and you're always creating new and brilliant memories why I'm just sitting here, struck by nostalgia. I've got nothing to offer but old stories-"  
"But I _love_ those stories!" Chanyeol cut him off, nothing but a genuine plea reflected in his shining eyes.  
"I love hearing them! They make me happy! The way you're telling them and the way you remind me of those feelings, I love it all-"  
"I love _you_." Sehun suddenly said, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop himself. With just these words the tense atmosphere dissipated and Chanyeol's features softened.  
"I love you, too." he replied gently, "You're my favorite story."  
"Ah, you two really are cute."  
  
Their heads whipped to the side to see Jongin lazily lounging on a bench nearby, his legs awkwardly leaning over the back of the bench while he looked at them, his vision upside down. As soon as the two had noticed him he turned to his stomach, regarding them with a somewhat intrigued look.  
"And you look good together, too."  
They were both slightly flustered seeing as this was the first time they got a compliment like that.  
"There you are, both blessed and only able to see it in the other. Really, it's cute."  
"What do you mean...?" Sehun asked slowly and Chanyeol noticed the way his body language responded to him, the way he was turned towards Jongin. But his hands were still resting on Chanyeol's arms and so he wasn't worried.  
Jongin rested his chin on one hand, his otherwise lazy aura betrayed by a certain spark in his eyes they both failed to interpret.  
"I mean what I've said, simple as that. You, Sehun, are blessed with the ability to restore all the memories. You'll never forget who you are and where you came from. You'll never forget the ones you treasure, either. While Chanyeol here" he continued, his gaze fixed on said one in an intense way that made the hair on his neck stand up for some reason, "has this never ending dreams for the future. You'll never ever run out of ambition. You'll never ever grow tired of life because your curiosity is driving you on. And yet both of you insist on being less worthy than the other."  
They both shared a long look, contemplating Jongin's words carefully. Maybe he was right. Maybe they had been looking at it the wrong way.  
Meanwhile the brunette had gotten to his feet, stretching his arms over his head.  
"You're really fascinating. The way you complete each other... You shouldn't lose sight of that, it's a blessing all on its own."

They watched him stroll away in silence, lost in thoughts that were for once very similar and didn't speak up until Jongin's retreating figure had almost disappeared in the foggy distance.

 

* * *

 

Jongin was rarely making people happy or sad.  
Just as he himself rarely felt happy or sad.  
Right now he was humming lowly to himself, strolling down the street, waiting until a random incentive would hit him.  
Today, for once, he was feeling rather mellow. It were the thoughts about Chanyeol and Sehun that made him feel this way. Seeing those two made it painfully obvious how lacking his existence was. He was nothing like them. Unlike them he was completely missing a purpose. There was no reason behind his actions because he neither had aspirations nor an origin of some sort. No roots and not even dreams. In a way, he was far more restless than Chanyeol. Oh, and obviously he was lacking someone to put up with him.  
The thought had barely crossed his mind when someone all but jumped him from behind, throwing an arm over his shoulder and almost sending them tumbling to the ground.  
"You're slow as a snail." Chanyeol hummed, leaning into his right side and Jongin regarded him with a surprised look.  
"We thought about something." Sehun mumbled to his left and Jongin wasn't sure where to look anymore.  
"Did you know that when we're together, we make people sad?" Chanyeol conversationally began, dragging Jongin along to an unknown location.  
"When we're on our own everything's peachy, but together... no matter how happy we are, people start to get really depressed."  
"Oh. Why?" Jongin simply asked, as usual not a man of many words - as usual just playing along, going with the flow.  
"We never knew." Sehun added, boldly reaching for Jongin's left arm as they awkwardly staggered down the road.  
"But I think we came to understand it today."  
"It's because we make people think of the past and the future. But if they only reminisce or daydream... they'll end up stuck." Chanyeol explained slowly, probing. Jongin was slightly confused by their intentions but let the blonde tug at his arm nonetheless.  
"Just like we did." Sehun added.  
"Because we were lacking... motion. It was you who helped us, by simply being yourself."  
Jongin blinked. He did that, helping them?  
They thought he was capable of... something?  
"And we thought that maybe -just maybe- we aren't as complete as you perceive us to be." Chanyeol mumbled, finally coming to a halt and positioning himself in front of him, with Sehun in tow. They did look good together, Jongin thought.  
"We n-need you." Sehun said shyly but determined, one hand reaching out to hold Jongin's.  
"You're the one to keep me going and to keep Chanyeol still. I'm just saying that if you want to-"  
"If you want to, you can belong to us. This probably sounds selfish," Chanyeol proclaimed no less convinced as his warm hand wandered down Jongin's arm, "but I genuinely think we can be good for you as well. We'll try really hard."  
Jongin was beyond surprised at the sudden turn of events. This fascinating couple wanted him to accompany them? The calm and homely Sehun wanted homeless Jongin? Chanyeol, who was full of drive and ambition, was fond of dispassionate Jongin? It was hard to wrap his mind around that. He already saw the panic creeping up their faces and it was ridiculous how their body language adapted to the other in a situation like this. Ridiculously endearing.  
And because Jongin had no reason to say no and wasn't one to think hard, he just nodded.  
Sehun didn't even bother to reply in any other way than swiftly yet gently pressing their lips together.

The past kissed the present and Jongin felt like he finally found a place he belonged to.  
He had barely caught his breath when Chanyeol's slightly fuller lips met his' with fervor, one hand buried in his brown curls to lock him in place and the future gifted the present with a purpose.  
Jongin sighed as he experienced completion for the first time.

  
 

 

When Chanyeol, Sehun and Jongin were together, they would make people happy.  
Fueled by memories of good times they would set off to chase their dreams.  
Just like the three themselves did.


End file.
